Casket



May 9, 1939.

H. S. SCHOLL GASKET Filed Jan. 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l Harr 57507103 8&5

H. S. SCHOLL May 9, 1939.

GASKET '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1957 Patented May 9, 1939 CASKET Harry S. Scholl, Chicago, Ill., assignor to F. H.

Hill Company, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, at corporation of Ohio Application January 21, 1937, Serial No. 121,606

3 Claims.

The invention relates to burial caskets and more particularly to improvements in the contour of the casket body and in the arrangement and position of the handles or carrying means therefor.

It is desirable that the overall dimensions of the casket be kept at a minimum consistent with maximum capacity since the smaller the overall dimensions are the less the difliculty encountered in maneuvering the casket through door openlugs and other constricted spaces. The smaller overall dimensions provide the additional advantage of economy in vault construction since smaller vaults may be used.

"As caskets are at present constructed, the handles project beyond the-casket walls and the projecting handles are determinative of the overall dimensions of the casket. In some cases, the extra space required for the projecting handles has been somewhat reduced by the use of collapsible instead of fixed handles. However. fixed handles are, in general, less expensive than collapsible handles and are otherwise preferable, since there is less tendency to pinch the fingers of those carrying the casket when it is inclined substantially as is frequently necessary in maneuvering it through narrow doorways and down steep flights of steps.

The invention hasamong its objects the provision of acasket wherein the handles do not project laterally beyond the side or end walls of the casket, this being accomplished by building the walls'so that they inset or converge inwardly and downwardly at or near the bottom of the 1 casket and by fastening the handles to the casket walls at or near the points of maximum con- Vergence, the convergence being such that the upper portions of the casket walls entirely or almost entirely overlie the handles, whereby the maximum width or length of the casket body is not increased by the handles and the overall lateral and longitudinal dimensions are determined entirely by the requisite interior dimensions of the casket.

Another object is the provision of improvements in the mounting of casket handles resulting in the casket being normally carried at a higher elevation "than formerly and more nearly at the elevation of the floor of a hearse or similar vehicle, whereby the casket may be lifted into and removed from the vehicle with less effort.

A further object of the invention is the provision of improvements in the mounting of casket handles which consists in connecting the handles with the casket at points below the center of gravity of the load whereby the former tendency of the casket to swing as if suspended from bails. is eliminated.

The provision of collapsible handles near the top of a casket or at a substantial distance from its bottom, requires generally or preferably the provision of hand-hole recesses in the bottom of the casket for convenience at times into which the lugs of a bier have a tendency to enter and such recesses will be rendered unnecessary by having end handles fixedly mounted at or near the bottom of the casket. A further object of the invention is the provision of improvements in casket handles whereby hand-hole recesses in the bottom of the casket are unnecessary.

A'still further object of the invention is the provision of improvements in the mechanical design of caskets which permits the handle ornaments to be positioned sufficiently remote from the top of the casket as not to interfere with quarter-drop cuts or other possible sectional construction of the casket walls near the top.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of improvements in casket handles, such improvements being simple, inexpensive, and durable and provide the maximum of capacity for a given minimum of outside dimensions of the casket with the result that caskets constructed in accordance therewith have an increased utility.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims;

In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a casket constructed in accordance with the design and equipped with the devices in which the invention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial transverse sectional view and a partial end view of the casket shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the -line 44 of Fig. 2 illustrative of a typical handle and means for connecting the handle to the casket.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numerals I0 and II respectively designate a casket body and cover, preferably constructed of metal, and connected by hinges l2. The hinged cover ll may comprise a single section as shown or it may be split to permit the head end to be elevated independently of the foot end. Covers or linings of fabric or the like, mattresses, and other interior furnishings and fittings are omitted from the drawings in order to better disclose the construction embodying the invention.

The casket body I0 is shown as converging inwardly both at the top and the bottom from its zone of maximum width with the tapered portions curved. Any other suitable contour of the side walls, either curved or straight, may be utilized, providing the bottom or base portion of the casket converges or is inset inwardly sufficiently that the carrying means or handles positioned at or near the bottom or base of the casket are overhung by the upper or body portion of the casket. The mattress is usually of a depth of six to eight inches and by having the convergence of the walls confined to the corresponding bottom portion of the casket, its capacity is not thereby diminished.

The handle bars l4 are shown as extending substantially the full length of the casket on each side and are connected to the lower convergent portions of the casket body by a plurality of intermediate brackets l5. Each bracket l5 comprises an inner block section l6 and an outer block section I! fastened together in abutting relation and to the casket, preferably by U-bolts l8. The abutting ends of the blocks l6 and I1 are recessed to provide apertures adapted to receive the handle bars I 4 in closely fitting relation. The ends of the bars l4 project into sockets provided for that purpose in special elongated brackets 22, the latter being also fastened to the casket body by bolts I8. Similarly, a handle bar If! is mounted on each end of the casket, preferably in the same horizontal plane as the bars [4 and are also fastened to the casket by brackets 23, similar in size and shape to the brackets 22. The convergence of the casket walls adapts the handles I4 and H! to be positioned at or slightly above the bottom of the casket with the casket body projecting sufficiently to completely or substantially overhang the handles and brackets.

A plurality of vertically extending and aligned members 20 and 2| are mounted on the casket body Ill and the cover II, respectively, the members being respectively positioned immediately above the brackets l5 and 23 to reinforce and strengthen the casket against buckling. The members 20 and 2| may be relatively plain or may be ornate and thereby add to the general ornateness of the casket.

Thus it will be seen that the invention provides substantial improvements in caskets, the invention consisting in tapering the walls of the casket inwardly and downwardly to provide a base or bottom portion such that the walls of the casket completely or substantially overhang the handles and brackets positioned near the bottom or base portion, whereby said handles do not interfere with maneuvering the casket through restricted spaces or positioning it within the Walls of a vault, the handles being so positioned as to eliminate any bail-like movement in carrying the casket and to minimize the efiort required in loading or removing the casket from a hearse or similar vehicle.

Having thus described my invention it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A burial casket of the kind described comprising a bottom and side and end walls extending therefrom, the portion of the walls adjacent the bottom providing and defining a mattress containing chamber, the walls at the sides extended both upwardly and outwardly beyond the sides of the said mattress containing chamber to provide a relatively wider body receiving chamber, the merging portions of the walls defining the chambers providing an inset portion and handles at each side of the casket associated with and disposed adjacent the bottom, said handles underlying the side walls of the body receiving container and substantially confined within the inset portions, whereby the over-all width of the assembly is defined substantially by the walls of the body receiving chamber.

2. A casket comprising a bottom, side and end walls extending therefrom, the bottom and portions of said walls adjacent the bottom providing a mattress receiving chamber, said walls extended upwardly and outwardly beyond said mattress receiving chamber to provide an associated body receiving chamber relatively larger than the mattress receiving chamber, the merging portions of the walls defining the chambers providing an inset portion, and handles associated with and disposed adjacent the bottom, and substantially entirely confined within the inset portion whereby the over-all lateral extent of the assembly is defined substantially by the walls forming such body receiving chamber.

3. A burial casket of the kind described, comprising a bottom, a top and side and end walls therebetween, the said side walls extended upwardly from their juncture with the bottom for a substantial distance and thence laterally upwardly and outwardly providing substantially two well defined separate associated chambers arranged one above the other constituting a mattress chamber at the bottom and a relatively larger body receiving chamber immediately thereabove, the merging side walls defining the two chambers providing an inset portion adjacent the said bottom, and handles arranged on the walls of said lower inset portion adjacent the bottom of the casket, and disposed adjacent to but spaced from the exterior of the walls of said lower portion, the over-all width of the assembly corresponding substantially with the transverse width of the body receiving portion of the casket.

HARRY S. SCHOLL. 

